Report: Rockfeedback @ iTunes Festival Night 27 – The Saturdays
5/5
By: Dickon Stone
This year, Rockfeedback is delighted to be the official blog partner for the rather exciting iTunes Festival, taking place at London's Roundhouse every night in July. Over the course of the festival, we'll not be missing a night, delivering morning-after reports on everyone from Oasis and Bloc Party to Franz Ferdinand and Kasabian playing intimate sets to fans lucky enough to have won tickets to the shows.
I think of myself as a rather open-minded, accepting person… but also one with more than a shred of integrity and an idea of what is “good” and what is “bad”. Needless to say, I arrived at The Roundhouse expecting nothing but a screaming cesspit of bubbling pop faeces with caked on makeup, crap live vocals and a dreary uninspiring stage presence. Oh, how wrong I was.
If I could offer you one piece of advice for the future, it would, GENUINELY, be to go and see The Saturdays (I never thought, EVER, that I would be advising Rockfeedback.com to go and see what we all assume to be total sh*te – but which is, in fact; pure gold).
After support group Girls Can’t Catch did a reasonable job warming up a crowd of mixed ages; certainly a few more little girls than at other iTunes events, but probably no less of a mixed bag in terms of ages - and definitely no fewer “scene kids” or skinny jean clad bowl cut “trendies” - with a minority of the crowd knowing some of their tunes, but everyone essentially just wanting to get on with the main event… they left to loud, appreciative pre-teens and then the stage turnaround began; surprising me with how much gear needed to be brought on for what I assumed was just a few pretty girls prancing about miming.
A full drum kit, guitar “station” (several guitars with a full house of pedals and amps), synths, keyboards, and 5 light-up mic stands were placed on stage. The lights dimmed several times before The Saturdays eventually made their way onstage; each time provoking a terrifying hubbub within the room; a lurch forward, a jump in volume of screaming… When the backing band (minus the girl group) graced the stage and started an instrumental version of ‘Up’ to huge video screen Gladiators-esque introductions of each member of The Saturdays; said hubbub reached huge proportions.
When this was over, the girls finally came into view. Firstly; I swooned. Everyone screamed. You could practically smell the ectoplasm from each male groin oozing into the air. Secondly; I started to tap my foot to the appallingly catchy pumping beat of ‘This Aint Love’.
The Saturdays stripped off their black overcoats, rather predictably, to reveal their white and gold playsuits and skirts… as well as a heck of a lot of leg. I swooned. Everybody screamed. The musky edge to the air skyrocketed.
‘Just Cant Get Enough’ was the next hit to really raise the roof of The Roundhouse and everyone knew the words, and everyone was out of their seats in the gallery and jumping like mad things in front of the stage. I admit, I really really really fancy Frankie. She is ridiculously fit. And miles apart from my swooning – much to my girlfriend’s displeasure – I am genuinely blown away by the skilfully crafted harmonies and pop-genius hits which are insanely well produced and exquisite party pumping BANGERS.
My mind was fuzzled into a state of bewilderment when 2 of the girls picked up guitars and played through new track ‘Fall’ and a cover of super-hit ‘Beggin’. This sent the place wild. The girls next led the crowd through a medley of ‘Shut Up ‘n’ Drive’, ‘I Kissed a Girl’ (by Katy Perry) and Pink’s ‘So What’. This was mental. Perfectly nailed, and I was half expecting a mosh pit to break out the crowd was so wound up.
The whole event was actually massively enjoyable. I was immensely surprised at not only the sheer professionalism of the girls, their voices, their looks… but more than anything I found their control of a crowd to be up there and beyond (at times) that of any band on the proverbial “circuit”. I didn’t think this would be my kind of music, but it has a great charm about it, and the fact that its execution was so exemplary meant I found myself diving into it with reckless abandon.
The Saturdays are awesome. You should see them. Give them more credit than you currently do, ‘cos they DO have talent, and they CAN sing, and although they may be a product, you do kinda have to take your hat off to them; a record deal and a great backing track can’t produce the kind of lovely personality and stunning vocality that I witnessed.
Artists in this article: The Saturdays
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